Tricks and Liars
by BannerFanner
Summary: Tegan Conrad works at a little shop, goes on blind dates, and saves up money for better things - so when the battle of New York brings her world crashing down, she decides to get compensation. If that means breaking into SHIELD, so be it. If that means sparring with a spider, cleaning metal pants, and forging a curious friendship with a reclusive scientist? We'll see. (No Mary-Sue)
1. Tall, dark stranger

_**A/N: This story takes place directly after the Avengers. Basically canon-compliant, except with a new character. I only own my OC. Thanks for reading! x**_

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><p>Suspended in the middle of the street, the lovers finally turned to each other. Flames lapped at the background from the burning building they'd only just managed to escape, throwing them into a shadow as their lips finally touched...<p>

Then, the image paused.

'Crap.' Tegan Conrad scrambled for her notepad and wrote down the name of the movie. She took out the DVD and spun on her heel, waving it through the air. 'Connor, I've got another broken one!'

The owner of the little shop, a forty-something man with half-moon glasses perched on his nose, walked around the counter and met up with Tegan in the dimly-lit back room, where she was bent over a crowded table of discs and cases. He popped the latest disaster onto his index finger and frowned determinedly at it, as if this would make it fix itself.

'I told that damn intern to take better care of my stuff,' said Connor, his impossibly bushy eyebrows doing a dance on his forehead. 'I'll put this in the pile.' Like he was noticing her for the first time, Connor's eyes drifted to Tegan. 'Don't you have a blind date today? You should go, Teg. It's Sunday, after all.'

'You're just saying that 'cause you don't want to pay me overtime!' Tegan smiled and adjusted the collar of her blue uniform t-shirt. It was standard-issue, size included, so the garment hung loosely, giving her the appearance of a child in their father's clothes. 'I'm so close to my goal. Just a few more weeks, and I'm out of here, Connor. I can't start slacking now!'

He gave her a patronising look. 'Go home now, and I'll pay you the overtime.'

'Really?' Tegan asked incredulously.

'Why not? You're worth pleasing.' Connor winked cheekily. 'Just this once.'

'Thanks, you're an absolute doll.' Tegan all but ran to the bathroom, snatching up her bag on the way and producing a grey pullover from its depths. She shrugged into it, and tied her ebony hair into a messy bun, keeping it from falling over her tossed-together features: a pointed chin, an uppity nose, and perky lips that made her look like she was permanently smirking. The makeup was acceptable...Well, it would have to do. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

'Hiding in the toilet doesn't count as leaving,' came Connor's voice.

Tegan rolled her eyes and gathered her things. She was so nervous about this date, that the floor beneath her seemed to quiver. Actually, it _was _quivering! The movement was barely noticeable at first, but soon became unbearable. The walls creaked violently in its chorus.

'What's going on?' called Tegan, fiddling with the door lock, which always stuck. In times like this, she was forced to realise that the place she earned her living from was falling apart. People just weren't buying DVDs anymore, and if people weren't buying DVDs, she wasn't making the money she needed. Of course, her train of thought quickly derailed as the plaster of the walls started to crumble, and not-too-distant screams (along with other unidentified, unearthly noises) pierced the air. With a burst of terror-fueled strength, Tegan pushed the door open at last.

She stumbled out into a warzone. Hideous creatures from the darkest corners of nightmares whipped through the wind on metal steeds. A good half of the roof had caved in, letting the sky spill like water onto her.

'Connor, where are you?' she cried, overturning slabs and kicking away damaged goods. Her eyes locked onto him in the far corner of the shop, his body half-hidden by a fallen metal pole. It was levered by a chair that kept it from crushing him instantly, but the plastic of the seat was groaning in protest, and wouldn't hold out much longer. Tegan dropped her bag and struggled to pry it off him.

'Tegs, why are you still here?' said Connor, grinning stupidly. 'I told you to go.'

'Maybe if you weren't lying around on the floor,' Tegan groaned under the unrelenting weight of the pole, 'then I wouldn't have to pick you up.' She fell to her knees and sobbed. It wouldn't move. 'I'm so sorry, Connor, I can't-'

Cutting her short, a streak of crimson and gold filled her vision. It was a man made completely of metal. It was..._Iron Man_. She recognised him from news stories, though it took a second to actually register that her eyes weren't lying. Iron Man hit the far wall and slumped down for a beat, before dusting himself off and getting up again. Tegan squeaked, worried she would miss him.

'Mister Stark!' she exclaimed. He turned to her slowly. 'Please, my boss, he's trapped!'

Iron Man nodded curtly and tossed the pole aside like it was nothing. 'Sorry I can't hang about. Kinda stopping an alien invasion.' He spread his legs apart, looked up, and was gone.

'Right on,' said Tegan, her voice coming out more like a whimper. She wrapped her arms around Conner and helped him out. 'Are you OK?'

'Fine, yeah,' he said. 'Who was that?'

Tegan's eyes flickered to the sky. 'My hero.'

Of course, the excitement and the danger died down. The Chitauri were stopped, Loki defeated, and New York was left to pick up the pieces. So many nightmares had come to pass. Tegan had even seen a giant green man tower above her, only to move on when she seemed to bore him.

Most of all, she couldn't forget the burning. Fire danced in her vision as, a day later, she dragged a broom across the floor. A stack of DVDs on legs shuffled over. Connor's face appeared after setting them down on the counter.

'I guess now's as good a time as any to install a skylight,' he said bitterly, glancing around. 'I'm sorry you missed your date.'

'It's all right. He was probably fifty-something with gnarly facial hair and a dozen cats,' replied Tegan. She sighed and slumped against the broom. 'This is gonna take a lot of _time_ to fix.'

'And cash.' Connor drummed his fingers over the DVDs, turning to her with what could only be described as a guilty expression. 'I'm sorry.'

'Sorry? For what?'

'I'm gonna have to let you go, Tegs. I'll barely be able to bring this old dump back to its feet, let alone keep you. I'm sure I'll lose Jake the intern as well. Unless you want to volunteer, there's no place for you here anymore.'

'I can't. I've got to keep working.' Tegan flashed him a sad - and somewhat frightened - smile. 'I'll be fine, don't worry about me, Connor. I'll find something. I just...' She froze and cocked her head to the side, staring past him.

'Are you OK?' asked Connor.

'That isn't ours.' Tegan picked up a tiny, square object from the rubble. It would've been invisible, had it not been for the stark green colour that stood out against the pale floor. She held it to the light so they could both see. 'What is it?'

Connor furrowed his brow. 'It's a microchip!'

Tegan gasped and clutched it to her chest. 'It's his! It's Iron Man's! Must've fallen out when he crashed into our wall.' Beaming madly, she dropped the broom and ran for her bag. 'I know what I've got to do! I'll get compensation, get you back in business!'

'Tegs, that's crazy,' said Connor. 'We aren't the only ones affected by that alien stuff, you can't just expect Tony Stark to pay our bills!'

'Why not?' Tegan stopped halfway through putting on her jacket. 'I've got something of his. Maybe it's important. If not, I'll find another way.'

'Look, you're a sweet kid, but you don't wanna go sticking your nose into the lives of people like him. He's dangerous.' When Connor saw that she wasn't listening, he changed tactics. 'Look, just don't involve me. I don't want any part of it.' He took Tegan's hands. 'Be good to yourself. Be careful.'

'I will.' Tegan planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, and started backing out the door. 'Thanks for everything, Connor. I _will_ get that compensation. I promise!'

'Use it for yourself, Tegs. Good luck!' He waved as the door closed, and was still waving long after.

Tegan filled her lungs slowly. Inhale. Exhale. Her heart rammed violently against her chest, her legs were shaking, her skin covered in goosebumps - but despite it all, she felt good. She shoved her hands deep into her coat pockets and began the journey to Stark tower; not that she really knew the way. However, in all fairness, it was pretty hard to miss. Tegan wondered how big her ego would have to be to want such a massive building with her name on it. Though she had to admit, it would be pretty cool. Tegan Tower...

Coughing awkwardly, she was grateful that no one could hear her thoughts.

No one was at the Stark Tower, of course. Tegan rammed her fists against the doors, and was greeted with silence. It couldn't be over before it had begun, without even giving her the chance to try! She sat on the pavement and rested her head on the glass. From what little she could see of the inside, the place was mostly undamaged. Maybe Tony Stark had decided to take a break from it all; maybe he'd gone somewhere exotic to recuperate. Hawaii, maybe. Tegan liked the sound of that idea. She hit the back of her head on the glass in defeat.

'I wouldn't do that, if I were you. There's enough damage as it is.'

Tegan opened her eyes to the handsome, careworn face of a stranger. 'Are you talking about the building or me?' she asked.

The man's features jerked in amusement. 'I dunno, really.' He re-shouldered his burgundy leather satchel, almost like it was bothering him, but more like a nervous habit. The bag worked nicely with his forget-me-not shirt and grey slacks. He seemed to have an eye for a rumpled type of fashion, though there was something effortless about it that made Tegan think it can't have been intentional.

'Am I in your way?'

'No, no, carry on,' the man said. 'I was just passing by.'

Tegan frowned. 'I feel like I know you from somewhere.'

'I've never seen you before in my life.'

'Yeah, of course. Sorry, I'm probably just mistaking you for someone else.'

'I do have one of those faces.' The man gave her a polite nod. 'Well, see you, I guess.'

'Have a good one,' said Tegan absently. She waited until he had turned his back, then made sure to get a proper look at him. His movements were careful and calculated, his head down so as not to draw attention to himself. He walked like a man who knew how to disappear, and definitely as a man who didn't want to be followed.

Well, that meant she _had_ to!

Tegan stood carefully and turned up her collar, the way she'd seen in movies, trailing behind the mystery guy. There was no way he'd simply been "passing through". Tegan was sitting out of the way, and he'd still seen her, which meant he was intending to enter the tower like her. Seems he didn't get the memo.

The man stopped often. Not quite enough to warrant suspicion from any of the passers-by, but enough that Tegan could recognise the caution and strategy behind it. If he were the protagonist of a movie, this would be the part where, knowing he was being followed, his head would turn, and Tegan could be caught in the act. As it was, she tended to consider herself the protagonist of her _own _movie, and wasn't ready to be found out just yet. If she was, then _he_ would be the protagonist, and what would she become?

_Don't be stupid,_ Tegan chastised herself. _This is real life, so be careful, and keep your eyes on the road! _

She had nearly forgotten to stop with her target at a crossing. Nearly. The man was at the front of a cluster of people, and Tegan was nestled safely behind them. The man's back straightened suddenly. He looked right at the spot where Tegan was standing a second ago, biting his tongue like he'd been about to speak. Confusion crossed his features for a brief second, and was gone by the time he turned around. The light went, and he was forced to start moving again.

Tegan popped up, breathing raggedly. She could feel her heart beating in several different places. It was so frantic. The man was no fool. He knew he was being followed, and probably who by.

_What if he's not heading to Tony Stark? What if he's just going home? Am I wasting my time either way?_

Setting her jaw determinedly, Tegan chased after the retreating figure, but hung back when he continued down a long stretch of road to an impossibly tall, snow-white building she recognised as the Triskelion. She never really knew what actually took place in there. Maybe now she'd find out.

They reached the end of the road. Tegan hurriedly ducked behind a bush (then snorted to herself at the cliche) as the man leaned in to a little booth.

'Bruce Banner,' he said.

The looming metal gate that barred their way split horizontally in half, and stretched to swallow him up. Tegan was too close to stay in the bush. There wouldn't be another chance if she let this guy get away! The security guard wasn't looking. In fact, there didn't really seem to be that much security at all, likely because of the battle New York had just faced.

Taking a deep breath, then involuntarily holding it, Tegan sprinted for the closing gate, her bag smacking against her legs. She jumped through. Relief washed over her, but harsh alarms started blaring, and another guard tackled her to the pavement. Her head hit the ground, and everything became a blur.

The man she had discovered as Bruce Banner was debating whether or not to check her over. His instinct told him to run from her, this stranger who'd trample him to get what she wanted, but his kindness told him to help.

He didn't get the chance.

'Step away, Doctor Banner,' growled a new voice. 'This person has attempted, albeit _badly_, to infiltrate SHIELD.' The dark, fuzzy outline crouched beside Tegan's face. 'Now, who are you, what do you want, and why the_ hell_ are you dressed like a shop assistant?'

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><p><em><strong>AN: If you liked it, please drop a review my way! I love to hear what you guys think :)**_


	2. SHIELDed

Previously…

_'Step away, Doctor Banner,' growled a new voice. 'This person has attempted, albeit badly, to infiltrate SHIELD.' The dark, fuzzy outline crouched beside Tegan's face. 'Now, who are you, what do you want, and why the hell are you dressed like a shop assistant?'_

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><p>'That's because I am a shop assistant!' snapped Tegan, squirming under the iron grasp of the security guard. 'Who are you?'<p>

'You're just repeating me. A little juvenile, don't you think?'

'Why am I under arrest?'

'I don't answer your questions. I'm in charge here.' The man's eyepatch gave him a frightening, lopsided appearance.

'Now who's being juvenile?' Tegan felt a gun being cocked against her neck. 'OK, OK, don't kill me! I just wanted to find Tony Stark!'

'Then why were you following Bruce Banner?' growled the one-eyed man.

'I dunno!' The gun pressed itself deeper into her skin. 'I saw him outside Stark Tower. Thought he knew something.' Connor was right, she shouldn't have done this. It wasn't worth the trouble. They were going to kill her! Tegan couldn't help it, she started to sob.

'Why did you want to find Tony?' This voice was kind, non-invasive, and couldn't possibly belong to the one-eyed man. She recognised it as Bruce, who crouched beside her, his features soft.

'I have something of his.' Seeing an opportunity, Tegan pressed, 'It's very important, and I'll only give it to him.'

'We could take it,' said the one-eyed man. 'Easily.'

Tegan smiled bravely in spite of herself. 'But you won't, because you're obviously down on security, and you have better things to do than waste your time battering me for answers. Please, just take me to Tony Stark. He's here, isn't he, Mister Banner? That's why you came here straight away, isn't it?'

There was a thick and long-lasting silence, before the security guard spoke up. 'Director Fury…?'

The one-eyed man - Fury - made a shooing motion. 'Let her go. Stark'll be the judge of whether or not this possession of his is important, or indeed, real. Banner, I want you to escort her. She's right, I have better things to do.'

Bruce crossed his arms in a way that reminded Tegan of a skittish horse. 'I was going to him anyway. Tony's, what, in the lab or something right now?'

'Should be. I'll be keepin' a close eye on you two, so don't try anything funny.'

Tegan clambered to her feet. 'Yes, sir.' She dusted herself off and found that Banner was partially supporting her weight by wrapping an arm around her back. It was somewhat unnecessary, but not unwelcome. He seemed like the type who wanted to make sure that everyone was OK, and Tegan hadn't known too many people like that.

When they entered the actual Triskelion building, Bruce quickly changed their direction and guided Tegan up a flight of stairs; right, left, right, and forward to a small-ish, white room, where he sat her on a crisp bed.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

'Looking after your head.' Banner opened a small, clear box and brought out a swab. 'Tony can wait.'

'You're a doctor?'

'I dabble.' Bruce smiled and pressed the cotton to the cut on her forehead. 'Hold still.'

'Ow! It stings!' Tegan had to resist the urge to kick at him and yell for him to stop.

'Alcohol, sorry about that. It shouldn't be hurting so much.'

'That's just me, I'm not used to all this stuff.' Tegan gestured to the medical supplies. 'I used to avoid appointments and injections whenever I could. I never wanted to get sick, 'cause I was scared of the doctor.'

'That can't be good for you,' Bruce said casually. 'Doctors are supposed to help.'

'Is that what you're gonna do? Are you really going to help me?'

'Depends what you're really after, doesn't it?' He stuck a plaster over the cut, then took her hand and helped her to her feet. A proper gentleman. 'Well, you're all taken care of. I believe the lab in this place is downstairs.'

'Is it new or something?'

'Not really. They've had a base here for awhile, but they're moving a lot more over since the battle.'

'Ah.' It barely quenched her growing curiosity about this doctor and his kind. Who were these people, and what was this place? Tegan didn't push him for more, because she could see that he didn't particularly want to talk to her. He would help her, even treat her injury...but confide in her? No.

High above their heads, a lone figure crouched on a platform, watching them pass unknowingly through his radar. Clint Barton, also known as Hawkeye, pressed a button on his watch that patched him instantly to his fellow agent, Natasha Romanoff. He let his lips brush against the inconspicuous machine, his eyes never leaving Bruce Banner and Tegan Conrad.

'Do you see that?'

'You mean Banner and the woman in clothes that are two sizes too big?' came Natasha's reply. 'Do you know who she is?'

'No, but I plan to find out. I think they're heading for Stark. Meet me in hallway D, so we can cut 'em off.'

'You don't trust Banner?'

'I don't trust the girl.'

Clint switched off the communication and flew to the closest elevator. The doors closed on him, and down he went. In this little metal box, the back was completely clear, so that the whole of New York could be seen below. That didn't bother him in the slightest. He was only feeling worried because they were heading for the ground. Deeper and deeper. For a man who sought comfort in height, he was now buried under the sky. When all he could see through the window was darkness, the doors opened.

Standing to greet him was Natasha Romanoff. She was always a step ahead, no matter how little he gave to her, she had her own agenda and used it to get what and where she wanted faster. She smirked.

'You're getting slow.'

'And you're getting annoying.' Clint laughed. 'Let me guess, you already know everything about her, and just wanted to race me again?'

'Close. I know nothing about her, but she's coming up with Doctor Banner as we speak. Stark, on the other hand, is unknowingly heading towards them anyway. It looks like he was packing some things we brought over from the helicarrier.'

Three pairs of footsteps echoed through the halls. One, purposeful and quiet, followed by another that was furtive and light, and a third, separate pair that shuffled under a great weight. Banner, the stranger, and Stark.

Clint stepped smoothly into the main hall as Stark came up behind him, and the Bruce drew to the front. The girl hung back, her features curiously void of emotion.

Tegan found that she was holding her breath again, but couldn't bring herself to release it. There was something about this new man that screamed not normal. He had a certain air about him, the same that Banner had, which was both off putting and intriguing at the same time. Behind him, attempting to push past, she saw the man she'd been searching for.

'Who's she?' asked Clint, getting right to the point.

Banner adjusted his satchel in the nervous way she'd seen before. 'No one, she just wanted to see-'

'Mister Stark!' called Tegan. 'Oh thank God, I didn't think I was gonna find you!'

A head appeared from the side of an enormous box. The dark, trimmed features were unmistakably that of Tony Stark.

'Oh, hello,' he said. It was obvious he didn't know her. Tegan had to quickly stifle her disappointment. 'Are you the one who put Bird-Brain in my way? 'Cause I'd really like to keep moving. This thing's very heavy.' Clint side-stepped and allowed Tony to walk past.

'No, wait, please! I have something of yours!' Tegan pulled out the microchip from her bag and waved it around energetically. 'It came off your suit when you saved my boss' life.'

Tony put down the box and took the chip, holding it up to the light for confirmation. 'Huh, so it did. Thanks for that.' He flashed her a winning smile, then went back to his box and picked it up, heading for the lift. He stopped in the doorway. 'You must have quite a few tricks up your sleeve to convince SHIELD to allow you to return this to me.' Tegan waited for the rest of the sentence, but it didn't come. Tony disappeared into the elevator, and was gone.

'Is that it?' Tegan whispered. She couldn't stifle her disappointment any longer.

'Never meet your heroes,' said Clint. 'If that's all you were here for, I can escort you out. Let Doctor Banner attend to things.'

'I was just going to talk to Tony.' Bruce ruffled his hair. 'It was nothing important. He dropped me at the airport yesterday, but I've decided to take up his offer to live at the tower.'

Clint nodded stiffly and took Tegan's arm, steering her away. She glanced back to Bruce, who looked about as lost as she was. Her encounter with Tony Stark kept playing in her mind. She hadn't even had the chance to ask about compensation, and it would be impossible to get a job after the battle of New York.

I'm screwed, Tegan thought morosely. In the shadows, another woman, one with fiery hair and pursed, ruby lips, was watching. Natasha wasn't revered for her spy work for no reason. No one but Clint, who had known she was there in the first place, had noticed her. She didn't like this stranger. All this way, and all this trouble to return a chip? No, she wanted more, and Natasha needed to know what.

The elevator dinged, and Clint made to walk in with Tegan, but Tony was dominating the space, free of his box.

'Sorry, only room for two,' said Tony. 'Don't worry, I'll show her out.'

Clint raised an eyebrow. If he wanted to argue, he didn't fulfill this wish. Instead, he grunted and turned on his heel, meeting up with Natasha and heading for the stairs with her. Bruce went up to Tony and told him about his decision to live in the tower.

'Great! Glad you changed your mind, Brucie.' Tony beamed, then stopped Bruce before he could join them in the elevator. 'Still only room for two. I've got to talk to Tricks, here.' Bruce nodded in understanding, and trailed after Clint and Natasha.

The doors closed.

'So, Tricks,' Tony patted Tegan's back in a friendly way, that somehow carried a slight undertone of threat, 'why did you give me back my property? I've gone through life long enough to know that people aren't usually selfless. You want something from me?'

'My name's T-Tegan,' she stuttered, 'and yes, I did. Do. Er, it's just that, well, my boss can't pay me anymore, and I've been saving up money to go back to college, so I was hoping for co-'

'You want a job?' Tony grinned and dug his hand into his jacket. He pulled out a grey business card and handed it to her. 'You've got it, Tricks. I need someone to to help me out, now that Pepper's more-or-less in charge of Stark Industries. You'd be my PA. Basically, my everything-woman. You in?' He spoke with such rapid-fire confidence, that Tegan could barely think.

'Yes. Yes, I'm in.' She didn't realise what she'd said until Tony was patting her back again.

'Brilliant. Oh, and you can have this. I don't need it anymore.' He dropped the chip into her hand. 'See ya tomorrow.'


	3. Bruce and Abby

Previously…

'_...You'd be my PA. Basically, my everything-woman. You in?' He spoke with such rapid-fire confidence, that Tegan could barely think._

'_Yes. Yes, I'm in.' She didn't realise what she'd said until Tony was patting her back again._

'_Brilliant. Oh, and you can have this. I don't need it anymore' He dropped the chip into her hand. 'See ya tomorrow.' _

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><p>Tegan practically fell out of her cab that day. Excitement fueled her body, propelling her forward to Stark Tower. When she entered, a male, yet inhuman voice that she didn't recognise told her where Tony could be found.<p>

She went down to his garage in a soft, green pantsuit, with her dark hair tucked safely into a bun, and rapped her knuckles against the glass wall. Tony jumped out from under a suspended chestpiece wearing a loose, black singlet and biting a wrench in his teeth. Tegan wondered whether she should've bothered to dress up after all.

'Come in,' said Tony. 'I was just leaving. I need you to get that broom there and have a quick once-over around the edges of this room, then clean up Bruce's lab before he arrives at noon, and shine this hunk'a junk right here.' He rested a hand on the chestpiece. 'Any questions?'

'I thought I was your personal assistant,' said Tegan. 'That sounds more like the list of jobs for a maid.'

'Well, you're a person, and you're...assisting me.' Tony slung a towel over his shoulder. For the first time, Tegan got a proper look at his arc reactor. She'd only heard stories about it, rumours and whispers of a powerful machine that kept his heart running, and, apparently, a similar thing was running this very tower. It was kind of beautiful as it glowed through the fabric of his shirt. 'You're checking me out.'

'What?' Tegan jolted from staring at his chest, her eyes flickering with confusion and embarrassment. 'No I wasn't!'

'You totally were.' Tony walked past and patted her back good-naturedly, in the way she'd already come to expect. 'I'm taken, Tricks. Dum-E, on the other hand, is single and ready to mingle.' A tubular robot on a moving platform raised its head hopefully. Tegan rubbed her temples in irritation.

'Mister Stark-'

'Tony,' the billionaire interrupted, making a half-turn on the stairs to talk to her. 'Oh, and don't get sick. If you're running a fever, Dum-E will probably shoot foam at you. Have a nice day!' He continued up, and was gone.

Tegan sighed, but didn't call after him. It was a job, and she was grateful to have it after all New York had gone through. Besides, she felt she still owed Tony, and couldn't help being interested in taking a closer look at his suits.

'Guess it's just you and me, Dum-E.'

Dum-E beeped happily.

Taking that as her cue, Tegan grabbed the broom and swept the floor, careful to reach every corner of the expansive workplace. A few minutes into it, the AI, JARVIS, let slip that she had access to Tony's AC/DC playlist. Tegan raced around, using the broom as a microphone to lip sync along with the songs. She didn't know a single one, so she just made up her own words.

Time went by, and Tegan decided to go straight for the chestpiece, leaving Bruce's lab for later. She found a container of polish and an old rag, then set about shining the suit.

'Miss Conrad,' said JARVIS, coming through right as another song was starting.

'Yes?'

'Doctor Banner has entered the building.'

'Oh!' Tegan dropped the rag and stumbled out from under the chestpiece, nearly kicking over the polish on her way. 'Right! Thanks!' Her eyes dropped to her sleeves, which were wearing thin and splodged with chemicals. Her hair was fast escaping its bun, too. She used her elbows to open the door and rushed up the stairs to the beat of the song.

_All you women who want a man of the street. Don't know which way you wanna turn. Just keep coming, and put your hand out to me, 'cause I'm the one who's gonna make you burn. _

'Doctor Banner!' Tegan cut him off in the middle of the reception area, and stood in front, waiting for him to say something. He didn't, opting to simply adjust his satchel instead. 'Er, I haven't had time to clean your lab, but I can do that now, if you want. You'll just have to ignore me.'

Bruce made a noncommittal shake of his head, that Tegan took as a yes. She trotted after him like a dog, twittering about how she would ask JARVIS to turn off the music, and how happy she was to be working again. Bruce was silent, which put her on edge, and made the sentences spill faster from her mouth.

True to her word, Tegan got JARVIS to cut the AC/DC. She made it to the door of Bruce's lab before realising she hadn't brought any cleaning supplies with her.

'Crap. One sec!'

Bruce watched her go, his eyebrows knitted together, amusement tugging at his lips. He let himself into the surprisingly large setup Tony had for him. The walls connected to the inner rooms of the tower were completely solid and window-less, so no one could peer in on his work, but what faced the city was completely glass, and made the whole thing feel a lot less claustrophobic. Light flooded in, dancing around a gentle silhouette of the New York skyline.

Desks stacked neatly with equipment lined the floor, screens of varying sizes hung down from the roof, and a cup of coffee waited for him beside a messy paper pile. Bruce picked it up experimentally. It was half-empty, so must've been Tony's. He laughed to himself at this - that the genius billionaire could put all this together in a day or two, but couldn't remember to do his dishes.

As if caught doing something wrong, he slammed the cup onto the desk when Tegan came in, whirring to look at her with wide eyes. He wasn't ready for the idea that someone would constantly be with him, and knew it would take time before he was. Tegan herself jumped a little at his reaction.

'Sorry, Doctor Banner. Did I scare you?'

'No, no,' Bruce replied quickly. 'I just forgot you were here.'

Tegan frowned. 'Charming, thanks so much.' She dumped her supplies - which was a broom, some unlabeled bottles, a bin, and some towels - on one of the less cluttered surfaces. Bruce stood, watching her uncertainly. 'Don't wait for me, Doctor. I'll be a while.'

The two got to their individual loads without saying another word. Bruce slid on a pair of glasses and buried himself in formulas and algorithms that Tegan couldn't possibly understand. She hummed quietly to herself, spraying the window-wall and wiping the dust off visible parts of the desks. She'd never really been a tidy person. At home, things were always in the wrong spot, and in whole areas, rubbish took the place of possessions. The cleaning experience she was tapping into came from having a neat-freak roommate in college; although, what that had mostly taught her was how to cut some corners.

The work got very old very quick, so Tegan went up to Bruce and leaned her elbows on the surface upon which he'd spread several papers and an electronic tablet. From the opposite side, he looked up curiously, clearly waiting for an explanation.

'What'cha doing?' she asked.

'Searching for a cure,' said Bruce, taking his glasses off solemnly.

'A cure for what?'

'Verbal diarrhea.'

'Har-de-har.' Tegan pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. 'I was only _wondering_. If you're not gonna tell me, fine. I'm just Tony Stark's PA, after all, and we'll only have the foreseeable future to be stuck together in the tower alone. If you don't wanna talk, that's your business.' She turned her back to him in a huff.

Bruce chuckled. 'You'd make a terrible spy, you know? That was the most cliched and thinly-veiled argument I've heard in a while.'

'Then why do I feel like it's working?' Her grey-green eyes drifted to meet his soft, brown ones. Bruce held up his hands in mock surrender, and swiped a finger across the screen of his tablet, so that the documents he had up disappeared.

'Sure, then. Let's talk. But first,' he offered his hand, 'I'm Bruce Banner, nice to meet you.'

'Tegan Conrad.' She shook it happily, then noticed the cold cup by his arm. 'Guessing that's not yours. Can I get you a new one?'

'Thanks, if you don't mind.'

'Course not, it means I don't have to clean for a couple minutes.' Tegan grabbed the cup with a flourish. 'Be right back, Doctor.'

'Bruce.'

'Be right back, Doctor Bruce.' Tegan headed for the door, and stopped dramatically in the frame, pouting at him with an exaggerated expression. 'No, don't make me go, Doctor! I don't think I can pry myself away from our _riveting_ conversation!' And with that, she walked out.

Bruce laughed huskily, shaking his head. She was completely, one hundred percent bonkers. Tegan reminded him almost of Tony, except there was something innocent and playful about her, while Tony was all dry sarcasm and jokes. There was just something..._off _about Tegan, and Bruce couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He slid his glasses back onto his nose as she entered with two new mugs - one black with blue spots, the other fluorescent pink. She set down the pink one down for him, and sipped at the other.

'I'll try not to let my manly pride be too hurt,' said Bruce.

Tegan coughed suddenly into her coffee, wiping her chin with her sleeve. 'Don't make me laugh! That means we're friends, and we can't have that.'

'_Are _we friends, Tegan?' Bruce's expression was unreadable.

'I barely know you. Buy me a drink first.' She looked down to the cup in her hands. 'Er, or maybe just entertain me with fantastical tales while I sweep, how's that?'

'I think I can make that work.' Bruce fanned himself with his tablet. 'The enchanting tales of scientist Banner and his formulas.'

'Oh, kill me now!' Tegan sighed, her eyes rolling so fast that Bruce thought they may pop out of her head. She snatched up the broom again. 'I might just die of boredom, working around you people!'

* * *

><p><em>That night - SHIELD HQ - the Triskelion:<em>

The punches flew like daggers in a blizzard; deadly, powerful, strong, ruthless, and unpredictable. Natasha Romanoff had the training hall to herself for about an hour before the regulars of SHIELD came to beat the dummies. In a normal day, Natasha would use real people as her punching bags to keep her skills sharp, but with so many trying to repair and rebuild, she was alone in the vast room, pummeling a sack of grain.

Each time her fists connected with the leather, the sound echoed encouragingly, driving her movements. Her blood red curls flicked in front of her eyes, periodically blinding her, while her feet performed a sort of dance before the object of her aggression.

'Agent Romanoff, a moment, please.'

Natasha stopped, instantly calm and collected, instantly perfect and poised. She turned her head to where Director Fury stood, watching her.

'Of course, Nick,' she said, slinging a towel around her neck. 'What can I do for you?'

'That girl, the one who came in a few days ago looking for Stark. Well, apparently he's hired her as a sort of cleaner to fix up that tower of his. Normally I don't give a rat's ass what that man wants to do with his money, but we're short on staff, and that girl saw a lot that she shouldn't have seen, even if she doesn't know it yet.' His frown deepened. 'I want you to train her. I want her to join our ranks, 'cause God knows we need the staff.'

'Nick, no.' Natasha thumbed her towel furiously. 'I'm not about to pick up some _girl _and make her a soldier. A lot of people worked very hard to get here.'

'And a lot of people have died, Agent Romanoff. Don't forget that.' Fury turned his back to her, his midnight trenchcoat swirling impressively at his ankles. 'Don't make me ask Barton to take her under his wing. I want you to do it.'

'But why me?'

'You'll see, in time, I guess.' Fury walked out of the hall, calling to her one last time as he vanished behind a wall. 'Good luck, Romanoff.'

'Thank you, sir,' Natasha growled, whipping around and delivering a final, devastating blow to the punching bag.

* * *

><p><em>The same night - Stark Tower:<em>

Tegan screamed, dropping her bag, and clutched her heart in fright. She laughed nervously at the figure who had crept up on her.

'Wow, where did you come from? I didn't even hear you coming up the stairs.'

'You're late,' said the stranger, a woman in her mid-twenties or so, who was dressed in comfortable, casual clothing and had a bucket in one hand. 'He said you'd be gone by the time I got here.'

'Who are you?'

'Abby Adams, I''ll be coming in at night to tidy up some more of the damage from when the aliens wrecked everything.'

'Oh.' Tegan snatched up her bag again and held it to her chest. The lights were dim in the reception area, as Bruce had retreated further into his work, and the clocks had hit 6pm, so Tegan could hardly make out any major details about Abby. 'Um...yeah, I'm a little late. Supposed to work nine to five, but I got my interest peaked by these stories Doctor Banner was telling me. He said he was actually there when that Hulk creature smashed up Harlem, though he didn't remember most of it. May be PTSD.' Tegan stroked her newly re-tied hair, blushing slightly. 'And I'm rambling. I tend to do that. Sorry, you don't wanna hear all about my day. I'll be going now. See you around, Abby.'

'Good night.'

Tegan slipped through the doors of the tower and out into the biting wind of the night. It was never truly dark in New York City, but after a day of scrubbing dust and wiping glass, she sort of wished the lights would just shut off for a minute. She sighed, and whispered to herself that it would all be worth it in the end. Besides, Doctor Banner's stories were great fun, even if they were clearly made up. She couldn't imagine the meek, quiet man whom she was getting to know having anything at all to do with the creature she'd seen up close, even if it was only on the sidelines that he was involved.

A taxi drew up at her feet, and Tegan stepped in gratefully. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the back seat. At least tomorrow would be a little less tiring, now that she had a little assistance in the form of Abby. She decided to stay late again tomorrow and get to know her, because Bruce was a sweet guy, but he didn't really provide much in the form of companionship. He hardly even spoke, unless prompted.

It was while she mulled this over, that Tegan Conrad drifted peacefully to sleep.


	4. Get Up

Previously…

'_Don't make me ask Barton to take her under his wing. I want you to do it.'_

'_But why me?'_

'_You'll see, in time, I guess.' Fury walked out of the hall, calling to her one last time as he vanished behind a wall. 'Good luck, Romanoff.'_

'_Thank you, sir,' Natasha growled, whipping around and delivering a final, devastating blow to the punching bag._

* * *

><p>The knocking was rude, loud, and far too early to be anyone who owned a watch. Tegan moaned into her pillow and pulled her blankets to her chin, waiting for it to stop. It just kept going. She trudged sluggishly out of bed and threw open the door to her room, which lead directly to the kitchen of the little flat. She made her way to the main door, climbed onto a metal container, and peered through the peephole.<p>

Natasha - although Tegan didn't yet know her - was glaring right back, her red hair tucked back into a bandana, and her black training clothes making her fall in and out of the shadows. Tegan stepped down and kicked away her box, opening the door a crack.

'Hello,' she said, making a production of yawning and closing her eyes.

'Tegan Conrad? I'm Natasha Romanoff. I work for SHIELD.'

'Who?' Tegan didn't offer the woman to come in, and a quiet voice in the depths of her subconscious was telling her that this was a good plan.

'Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division.' When Tegan said nothing, Natasha added, 'That spells SHIELD.'

'I know what it _spells_. What does it mean?'

'Remember that big ol' building you so _expertly _broke into? That's the headquarters of a government organisation that kicks the asses of things that go bump in the night. Doctor Banner and Stark work for us in their own way, and now my superior wants you to work for us too.'

Tegan had to physically force her mouth to close. 'Why? What could I possibly do for you?'

Natasha shrugged. 'I don't know, but desperate times...well, you know the rest. Get ready, we leave in five.'

'I don't know who you think you are,' said Tegan, her voice wavering, 'and I don't care whose backing you've got. I don't want to work for any government agency. I've got a job.'

Natasha rolled her eyes, sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. 'I'm not particularly in the mood to be coy with you, so I'll say this once: Don't make me ask again, Miss Conrad.' Her voice was restrained, civilised, but dripping with threat. Tegan felt a shiver roll down her spine. Natasha spoke again: 'It's manners to invite your guest inside, isn't it?'

'Come in,' whispered Tegan, retreating behind the island in the middle of her kitchen. 'Don't hurt me.'

'If you're a good girl, I won't have to.' Natasha's eyes drifted up and down Tegan's body disapprovingly. 'You should get dressed.'

'Right...' Tegan backed to her room, gaze locked on Natasha. 'Don't break anything.' She melted in and closed the door. The sky was burnt a brilliant orange, scattered with blazes of scarlet and glimmers of gold. Tegan opened the curtains, and the sunrise let its colours fill the room.

She threw on a soft, purple singlet and a pair of sweatpants, ready to leave, when she saw the discarded microchip she'd received from Tony Stark. It glinted in the light. Tegan snatched it up and dived under her bed, flitting around until she found a plastic snaplock bag. Inside was a tangle of spare shoelaces. She took one and strung it through a hole in the coin-sized computer, tying it as a necklace.

Thinking of Iron Man, of his power and strength, of how he'd single-handedly lifted a metal pole from a man's body, filled her with borrowed bravery - something she really needed. She took a deep breath, dropped the chip under her shirt, and returned to Natasha.

'I'm ready.'

'Good,' said Natasha, who was already at the door. 'I'm parked out front.'

'Will we be getting breakfast?' asked Tegan, hastily locking her apartment. Natasha kept a hand on her back and guided her downstairs to the pavement.

'If you impress me.'

* * *

><p>Clint loved to be up high. He loved the view it gave him, and the way he'd always have the advantage over his prey. He lived on the adrenaline that flowed through his body, powering him, giving him strength; coming from the small, animalistic parts of his mind that still feared the fall.<p>

It was this need to stand above which prompted him to go to the observation deck that morning and look down upon the training hall, where two agents were sparring on the foam floor. He recognised the victor as Natasha, who was barely giving an effort in the fight. The other woman, who had her back to him, crouched painfully, shaking slightly.

'I can't do this,' she said, her words carried by the intercom so Clint wouldn't and couldn't miss a single word. 'I don't know this, I've never fought anyone in my life.'

'_Really?_' Natasha's voice dripped with sarcasm. 'Get up, brush yourself off, and try again. I want you to try and trip me like before, but don't let _me_ trip _you_ this time. Remember, there's no such thing as fighting dirty. You do what you have to do to win, to survive. You take risks, and you never turn your back. Got it?'

Clint finally recognised the other woman as her face came into view. He leaned over and pressed a button on the wall, opening up the communication both ways.

'Training the new girl?' he asked. Natasha looked directly at him, as if she could see through the one-way glass.

'Fury's orders. We're short on agents at the moment, and she's seen too much to just be released.'

'You're already fighting?'

'I'm being gentle,' said Natasha.

'She's a civilian.'

'So was I.' Natasha's eyes stormed over. 'But no one was gentle with me.'

Tegan listened to the exchange without a clue as to what was going on. She eyed Natasha's still, distracted form, her fingers twitching in anticipation. The redhead would probably murder her for what she was about to do, but Tegan felt anger bubbling in her heart - an emotion her mother had told her was "unladylike" - and she wanted to hit something. _Really_ wanted to hit something. She'd been pushed around all morning, literally and metaphorically, and decided it was time to push back a little.

Tegan threw herself onto Natasha - and for a treasured second, was forcing her to the floor. Unfortunately, Natasha slipped out from under her, and with movements so fast they seemed to blur, had Tegan pinned under her arm.

'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,' sputtered Tegan.

Natasha glared at her. 'Don't touch me. Ever.'

'I thought maybe you'd congratulate me for taking the initiative.'

'No.' Natasha stood swiftly and walked away. 'We're done. Go home.' She left Tegan alone in the training hall, maybe to talk to Clint, maybe to wash up, it didn't matter. All Tegan had to go on was the sinking feeling that she'd gotten on the bad side of the wrong person.

Bruce noticed that her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy when she came into the lab around eleven o'clock. Her makeup was hasty and far too bright, giving her the appearance of a sad clown. Uncharacteristically, she said nothing as she walked past him to open the curtains and let some light in.

Bruce put a test tube to boil on the far end of his desk. 'Morning,' he said, his eyes following her in concern.

'Yes, it is, isn't it?'

'What happened? You're late.'

'I seem to be making a habit of that.' Tegan stopped and fiddled with the curtain absently. 'Doctor Banner, what have I gotten involved with? I thought it was weird enough that _Iron Man_ hired me as his personal assistant/maid, but I've had a stranger knock at my door and whisk me away to a place that, apparently, is a secret government agency, and you're involved, and Mr. Stark's involved, and...' She finally turned to him. 'I don't want this.'

'Can't you just tell her no?'

Tegan bristled angrily. 'I never _said_ it was a her. There goes my vain hope that you'd be the only normal one. You know exactly who it was, don't you?'

'I'm far from being what you'd call "the normal one", Miss Conrad.' Bruce took off his glasses and folded them against his chest, tucking them neatly into his breast pocket. His expression was hurt, for some reason. Tegan couldn't quite understand. 'Why don't you just run away, then? Give up? Why bother? Go home.' The sting to his words was unavoidable.

'Don't say that...'

Bruce's eyes dropped to his tablet, his fingers clutching it just a little too tight. Tegan waited for him to look at her again, to backtrack, or even to yell, but he didn't.

'Fine. I will.' Tegan stormed out, hugging her arms close to her chest, bumping into the door on the way. She didn't know why she was so angry. Everything was happening so fast - maybe that was it. Only two days had passed since the battle of New York. This was the third, and it was only halfway over. She liked things to move at a slow pace; for things to be organised and planned, for things to work out the way they should. Tegan knew she wasn't cut out to be an agent of any sort, and she certainly wasn't enjoying the job of scrubbing the tower during the day. In a sense, Tegan was glad to have the work, but terrified of what she'd been sucked into.

Beside all that, there was Doctor Banner. Something wasn't right about him. Something scared her on a primal level, whenever his gaze met hers. She saw his face in her own reflection, eyes boring into her soul. What he was looking for, she couldn't know.

_Run away...Give up… _

His voice echoed in time with the clipping of her heels against the floor. Her heartbeat, furious and unforgiving, refused to give her a moment's silence.

_Give up…_

Tegan stopped in the doors of the tower, her fingers spread on the glass. She let out a breath and turned around. For once, she didn't _want _to give up.

'Doctor Banner!' she called, rushing back up the stairs. 'Doctor Banner, I've decided not to-'

On the ground floor, the elevator doors opened. Bruce held a smoking test tube at arm's length. Distracted by his argument - could it even be called that? - with Tegan, the chemicals he'd been fusing had overcooked and spoilt. The gas now being emitted by the grey liquid would have to be dumped in the alley. He coughed into his sleeve, and used his hips to bump the fire exit and slide through.

Bruce walked for about a minute, before finding the perfect closed-off, alley-like space between two little shops. He threw off the lid of a metal bin and dropped the test tube inside, clearing his throat as the chemicals fizzled with the trash.

_I'm far from being what you'd call "the normal one", Miss Conrad…_

He lost himself there, standing in the relative darkness, looking down but not seeing a thing. That's why he didn't hear as two brothers made their way into the small area, arguing and generally being noisy.

'You let her get away!' growled the eldest, pushing the other to the wall. 'That rich-looking ginger was just begging'a be robbed, and you had to get all sweet on her an' let her escape!'

'Naw, it was your fault, Jake! You were too slow to draw your pistol!' replied the younger man.

Jake pushed the younger man again. 'You take that back, pipsqueak. I ain't never slow!'

Pipsqueak opened his mouth to retort, then movement caught his eye. He turned his head awkwardly against Jake's fists - which were now holding him by the collar - to get a better look at the other person in the alley.

'Hey Jake, guess it's our lucky day after all.'

Jake released him and pivoted on his heel, sizing up Bruce, who had fit himself into the far corner where the walls around them touched; a dead end. He'd seen them at the same time he'd been noticed. He never had the chance to run.

Jake clicked his neck menacingly. 'No need to be frightened, pal. Just give us your wallet, an' we won't hurt you.'

'I haven't got any money,' said Bruce.

'Don't lie to me. Bet you're right respectable. You wouldn't wanna tarnish that by lyin' to ol' Jake, now.'

'I'm telling you the truth, I swear.' Bruce didn't like the way Jake and Pipsqueak were approaching him. He didn't like being backed in a corner. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the many silver rings adorning Jake's fingers, and how some were stained just enough to get the idea across.

It was Jake that delivered the first blow, the harsh metal in his fist connecting with Bruce's stomach, sending him crashing into the bins. Pipsqueak thrust his knee to Bruce's skull, forcing him down again when he tried to get up.

'Come on, man, get it out,' said Pipsqueak to his brother, looming over Bruce.

Jake fumbled for the gun at his belt and cocked it, pointing it at the crumpled man below. He waited for him to get into a sitting position, and was met by furious, green eyes.

Funny that, he could've sworn they were brown a moment ago.


	5. Nightingale

Previously…

_Jake fumbled for the gun at his belt and cocked it, pointing it at the crumpled man below. He waited for him to get into a sitting position, and was met by furious, green eyes. _

_Funny that, he could've sworn they were brown a moment ago. _

* * *

><p>It all happened so fast. Bruce seemed to explode, his clothes tearing and falling away like they were made of paper. Then, he was gone. In his place, crouching, half-naked, was a colossal beast of a man. His ruffled, dark hair and straining trousers were about the only human things he had about him. Everything else was distorted and stretched, discoloured and far, far too big for the brothers' liking.<p>

'What the hell is that thing?' cried Pipsqueak. 'Where'd it come from?'

'I dunno!' snapped Jake, rolling up his sleeves. 'But whatever it is, it got in my way. Nothing gets in my way.'

'You're crazy, man!' Pipsqueak backed out of the alley. 'I'm done!'

'Yeah, run, you coward!' barked Jake. He turned to the creature. 'You know, you're one ugly piece of-' The creature suddenly picked him up. Jake was silenced by the air rapidly escaping his lungs. The creature's face twisted into a grimace, which broke apart into a full-blown roar, that felt like it had burned off every hair on Jake's body. He lost it, and starting blubbing uncontrollably. 'Don't kill me! Please don't kill me!'

The creature regarded him for a second; only a second. He arched his back, and clenched his fist, squeezing the would-be mugger like a stress toy. Before the job could be done, the creature dropped Jake to the pavement, growling as his fingers turned numb.

Jake's eyes glazed over. His mouth slackened.

The creature tried to stand fully, but fell to his knees and grabbed his head, moaning in anguish. He didn't understand what was happening. He didn't know why he felt so...tired.

'Doctor Banner!' Tegan's voice reached him from the tower. 'Doctor Banner, where are you?'

She ran out to the street. Light billows of smoke drew her to the alleyway. She froze, squinting into the darkness until she could make out two shapes. 'Oh my God!'

A stocky, raven-haired man lay brokenly on the ground, one arm bent at an unnatural angle, and his legs splayed out; only just alive. A little ways off, another figure was curled in on himself, his cheek pressed to the cold pavement, his whole body shaking.

'Bruce!' Tegan's curiosity gave way to a deeper concern and fear. She climbed over the stranger, barely acknowledging him, turning Bruce onto his back and lifting his head onto her knee. 'Help!' she cried to the street. 'These men are hurt, please help me!' A couple of guys came rushing up.

'What happened?' one asked.

'I dunno,' said Tegan. 'I honestly don't know.'

In time, Bruce and the stranger were taken to the hospital, but when a mystery man called up out of the blue, Bruce was inexplicably discharged and Tegan brought him to the tower again. The hospital workers placed him gently on the sofa of the main living room, then started to leave her.

'Wait, what am I supposed to do with him?' she called as they headed down the stairs.

'He's in some sort of shock. Make sure he drinks something, and don't wake him before that,' came the absent-minded reply.

_Rude, _thought Tegan. She sighed, looking around the room they'd come to. This living area was spacious and open, with gentle light and a gorgeous view of the broken city, which was murder on someone who feared heights, such as Tegan. It was easier in Bruce's lab, since the windows were small and she could easily ignore them. Here, though, an entire _wall _was made of glass, and they were much higher up.

This didn't stop her from eventually drifting off into a fitful sleep, having collapsed on the plush armchair directly facing the sofa. A soft groan disturbed her. Snorting unattractively, Tegan rubbed her eyes and kneeled beside Bruce.

'Doctor Banner, are you awake?'

Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, accentuating the dark circles under his eyes, which still hadn't opened. 'Bet…?'

'It's me, Tegan. You know, the coffee girl.' She smiled when Bruce seemed to respond to this. 'I spent a few hours cleaning all those test tubes of yours, yesterday. This is how you repay me, making me wait around while you get your beauty sleep?' Tegan chuckled nervously. 'Can you hear me?'

Bruce groggily placed a finger on her lips. 'Sssh.' The finger slid off slowly. 'Loud.'

'I'll take that as a yes. What happened to you? The doctors wouldn't tell me anything.'

'I...' Bruce swallowed hard, avoiding her gaze. 'There was this...thing. It attacked me and that other guy. It disappeared. I don't know where it went.' He closed his eyes, like the effort to speak had been too much.

Tegan wasn't having that problem. She was ready to press the issue, when the sharp slamming of a door jolted her, drawing her eyes from Bruce.

The woman she recognised as Abby stood in the corner of the room, a keycard hanging limply from her hand, mouth open in shock.

'I...just came to return these. I accidentally took them home last night.' Abby held up a box of towels. 'What's...what's wrong?'

Tegan sighed shakily. 'Dunno. I wish someone would tell _me_.'

'Have you called the hospital? That face of his at _least_ should be looked at.'

'Yeah, but they just brought him back here. Some guy named Fury pulled a couple strings. When I got on the phone with him, he told me not to tell anyone that he...' Tegan blinked. 'Oops. Disregard everything I've just said.'

Abby nodded, and took out one of the towels, tossing it to Tegan. 'Dry your eyes. I'll get one of these things wet, and you can dab his. He's sweating like a long-haired dog in a winter coat. Then, you can try talking to him, make him more comfortable in any way you can.'

'How do you know what to do?'

'I may just be the help, but I know a few things. I think you of all people can understand that, can't you?'

'I'm pretty useless help,' muttered Tegan. If Abby heard, she didn't respond, disappearing into the elevator with a towel slung over her shoulder. Bruce shivered, contrasting the hot flush of his cheeks.

He caught only every second word that was said around him. Too many questions; some his own. Why had he changed back so quickly? Why was he feeling so horrible? It was worse than usual. Another shiver ran down his spine like cold water, trickling into the pool of sudden realisation. He sat bolt upright, eyes bursting open.

'The serum! It worked!'

'Doctor Banner, please! You need rest.' Tegan placed her palms on his shoulders and gently pushed him back into a reclined position.

'No! It was a success! I can't sleep, now I'm so close to the cure!' Despite his words, Bruce's eyelids were drooping with the effort.

Abby returned, bringing in a towel

'What needs curing?' asked Tegan. Bruce finally seemed to realise that she was with him.

'It's a secret,' he said childishly, head lolling against the arms of the sofa. 'I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.'

'You're completely out of it. Besides, my life isn't anything exciting.'

'Go on.' His bruised and battered features sobered a little.

'As you wish.' Tegan sighed bemusedly. 'I'm the youngest of three girls, with two loving parents who are still together. We grew up in the upper middle-class. It was good. It was happy. I loved school. I was even gonna go to college to become a counselor or therapist. I wanted to help people...'

She smiled wanly.

'And then I met Percy Cruise. I fell hard and fast in love, dropping out of school at seventeen to spend the rest of my life with him. I was a stupid kid who wanted to be spontaneous. I didn't think. He left me a few months later, and I had nobody to lean on after I'd pushed them all away. For years I did all the wrong things, until I finally realised that I was wasting my life, and I've been trying to work my way back onto the path of my dream job ever since. I'm twenty six now, and I've already applied for some college courses. I just need the last few paychecks to...' She frowned. 'Doctor Banner, are you asleep?'

'No,' Bruce mumbled. 'Just resting my eyes.'

'Uh huh.' Tegan sniffed. 'Okay, we had an agreement. It's your turn.'

Bruce faltered. 'You can't tell anyone anything, Tegan. You can't...you can't trust-'

Abby appeared through the door on the other side of the room. Bruce, already struggling to keep himself awake, suddenly fell deeply unconscious, leaving Tegan to lean over him in concern.

'Sorry, am I interrupting something?' Abby passed a new towel to Tegan, glancing at their shared patient. 'He looks worse.'

'She's right you know,' Tegan spoke openly to Bruce, whether or not he really was unconscious. 'Whatever that cure of yours was, I wouldn't wait in line for it.'

'Is he sick or something?'

'Maybe. No one tells me anything around here.' Tegan began dabbing at Bruce's forehead with the damp towel.

Abby interrupted this by sticking out her hand. 'I'm Abigail Cassandra Adams. There, I told you something, right?'

_Bleeep. Bleeeeeep. _

'You should get that,' said Abby, nodding to a crumpled bag that Tegan had all but forgotten; her own. 'I'll be off, then. Take care of him. I'll be back at the usual time to continue repairs for Mr. Stark. Have a nice day.' She turned and made for the door.

'Abby!'

'Yes?'

'Thank you. Seriously, you've been the only person to properly help me, and that means a lot.'

Abby hung in the doorway, her face dipping in and out of a shadow. 'You're welcome, Tegan. Don't forget the phone.'

'What? Oh!' Tegan fumbled hastily for her cell and punched in her password, automatically answering the call.

'Hello, this is Tegan,' she said in hushed tones. 'Who's calling?'

'This is Agent Romanoff. I'm the one who brought you in for one-on-one training,' came the voice on the other end.

'Oh no, we're not having another session, are we?'

'We are, but that's not what I've rung about,' said Natasha. 'Intelligence reports say that you found Doctor Banner and a male civilian lying in a back alley with varying states of injury. My superior, Nick Fury, is the man who got you redirected back to Stark Tower.' Natasha's words took on a darker undertone. 'Now, I need you to tell me something, and tell me honestly. Did you see anything unusual about Doctor Banner upon finding him?'

'No, nothing at all,' said Tegan blankly.

'Good. We'll have a team over in five minutes to perform a routine clean-up of Banner's lab in case there are any dangerous substances that caused him to...black out. Oh, and I'll also be picking you up so we can continue your training in a more official platform. See you soon, Conrad.' It was painfully clear that Natasha was smirking.

The call ended.

Tegan turned to Bruce, her smile half-hearted and weak. 'What the hell have we gotten ourselves into, Doctor Banner?'


	6. Where the sidewalk ends

Previously...

_'Good. We'll have a team over in five minutes to perform a routine clean-up of Banner's lab...Oh, and I'll also be picking you up so we can continue your training... See you soon, Conrad.' It was painfully clear that Natasha was smirking._

_The call ended._

_Tegan turned to Bruce, her smile half-hearted and weak. 'What the hell have we gotten ourselves into, Doctor Banner?'_

* * *

><p>The noise threatened to swallow Tegan whole. She clung to Bruce and just tried not to be trampled, as the only remotely subtle thing about the team Natasha had called in was their uniform.<p>

About seven or eight people in dark suits, each with a strange type of satchel over their shoulder, piled in before JARVIS could even alert Tegan to their arrival. They patted her down, and attempted to do the same with Bruce, though Natasha came in and told them it wasn't necessary. The agent stood by them as the faceless group moved to the lab, coming back with their bags bulging a few minutes later.

'Hey, you can't take all that!' exclaimed Tegan. 'That's Doctor Banner's work - and Mr. Stark's equipment, as well!'

'I think you'll find Tony Stark isn't exactly in short supply of toys,' said Natasha, arms crossed tightly. 'And besides, Banner works for SHIELD, in a manner of speaking, so anything he does that could harm the integrity of the organisation or else cause harm to the general public can and may be confiscated.' It was like she was reading from a card that Tegan couldn't see, and yet there were flickers of sympathy and understanding in her cold eyes, betraying that she may not be totally inhuman. 'According to Stark's schedule, he'll be arriving later today in order to perform some tests with his armour, so it's best we get all this out of the way before we spontaneously catch fire, or get trampled by the latest model.' A corner of her mouth twitched. Could she possibly be considering a smile?

'And Doctor Banner?' Tegan pressed.

'We'll move him to the HQ for some proper treatment after you've had time to stop by your apartment and change.'

'No...I'm ready. I can't pretend I remotely understand what's happening, but I'm tired of being scared. You wanna fight me? Then I'll damn well do my best not to-' Tegan's voice wavered, '-not to...disappoint you.'

Natasha lowered her chin so that she was no longer looking down on Tegan. 'That almost sounds like bravery. You know, I don't want to train you, and you don't want to be trained, but sometimes we just have to do what we're told, even if we're not sure why. You understand?'

_You can't trust..._

Tegan glanced to Bruce, before nodding slowly. 'Yeah, I think I do.'

They headed down the elevator while the nameless, faceless "team" slid down the stairs. If the noise of footsteps and shuffling had previously suffocated Tegan, the silence was a release at first, and then a vacuum, sucking out every breath in her throat; too sudden and far too thick. Buzzing thoughts and burning questions raced through her mind, making the silence all the more noticeable with the absence of confidence to fill it.

Perfectly timed, Tony Stark burst through the entrance in the instant Natasha's hand moved to open it. His clothes were slightly ripped, and definitely scorched in places. His hair, though, had recently been styled, and a pair of dark glasses sat casually on his nose. It took a second for him to see Natasha and Tegan.

'Oh, hey Tricks,' he said.

'Been working, Stark?' asked Natasha icily. 'You're early.'

'And you're stealing my day cleaner, but I wasn't gonna say anything.'

'Official SHIELD business, we-'

'Wasn't that Bruce I saw on a stretcher a second ago?' said Tony. 'What happened?' He looked to Tegan, knowing he wouldn't get an answer from Natasha.

'He...' Tegan met the eyes of the Widow, and shuddered internally at the threat within them. Don't ask any questions. 'He blacked out.'

Tony chewed his lip knowingly. 'Ah.' It was his turn now to look at Natasha, but like an inside joke, Tegan didn't get it. 'Tricks, have you seen Amy around?'

'Abby,' said Tegan.

'Right. JARVIS says she left some files out when she was fixing up my office. If you see her again, please tell her to pick them up. Or, actually, you can do it. That's kinda why I have two of you.' He smiled to show that he didn't care either way. 'Your field trip with the spider will be coming out of your overtime, Tricks.' Tony gave a sloppy salute. 'I'll be seeing you, ladies.' He fished a sleek, silver remote from his breast pocket and a flash of red and gold flew from upstairs. He stepped into it, flying - literally - down into his basement lab.

Tegan's eyes widened, her mouth forming an O shape. Not because of the mile-a-minute Mr. Stark, but because she actually saw Natasha stick out her pointed, pink tongue behind his back, and roll her eyes irritably. In fact, Tegan was still in shock when Natasha was standing in the door, waiting for her to come outside.

'Conrad, now please!' barked Natasha.

* * *

><p>The raven stood high above the crisp line of trainees. Not a foot stepped out of place, and that's the way he likes it. SHIELD has been more vulnerable than usual for almost a week. Far too long. The more lives lost, the more they had to replace. It was ruthless, but fair. They were picked up from the streets, from the circus, from other organisations, even.<p>

Except that girl, the one who'd seen too much. There were a million other things the raven could have done with her, and yet he'd given her to Romanoff for training. He knew exactly why, of course, even if she didn't.

Natasha's eyes kept flickering up to him once she'd set the trainees to run laps. Nick Fury turned and walked briskly to the hall, his dark coak whipping up like a pair of wings. He approached Natasha.

'Nick, I've done what you asked, I've trained her,' said Natasha without having to see if he was there. 'She can work with the other trainers. They can probably help her more than I can.'

'I told you I wanted you to do it.'

'But why?' Natasha, always so strong and steady, looked like she could topple over at any minute.

'Because you haven't been the same since New York was turned inside-out, that's why. I thought maybe you could take her on as a sort of...project, to get your mind off things,' said Fury.

'You thought wrong.' Natasha broke away from him, stepping right into the path of Tegan, who gratefully stopped her laps, sweaty and disheveled. 'Conrad, you're done.'

'What?'

'You're dismissed. Go home. No more training.'

'I don't under-'

'Go!' growled Natasha. Tegan hastily trotted out of the hall, collecting her jacket and handbag on the way out. Natasha glowered at Fury. 'I don't need you to look after me. I'm fine.'

'Clearly.' Fury placed a hand on her shoulder, raising a challenging eyebrow as she moved to shrug it off. 'Agent Romanoff, maybe I shouldn't have pushed you two together, but just promise me you'll try an' remember not to let the battle cling to you. We've survived worse.'

'It's not that. It's just...now the whole world knows about us - about me.'

'You were barely even shown on the news. I made sure of that.'

'Doesn't change anything.' A twitch of her nose was the only betrayal of emotion. 'Anonymity is everything, Nick. You taught me this. I...I don't feel safe anymore.'

'Romanoff, you and Barton are the best agents I've ever had. You've stolen more and killed more than anyone else. I'd say, in the event you were exposed, you'd be long dead already.' Fury grinned, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 'Chin up, Romanoff. There are greater battles ahead for you and me.'

'Yes sir.' Natasha chuckled softly as he went back to the observation deck, feeling a heavy weight lift from her shoulders. 'I hope so.'

Elsewhere, Tegan had finally found her way to the medical bay of SHIELD, which had been extremely difficult due to the fact that she had literally no clearance whatsoever. Luckily, Bruce had seen her from inside, and security allowed her to pass.

Doctor Banner lay in a white bed close to the door, half-hidden under equally sterile-looking sheets. His various cuts and bruises were covered by spongy plasters.

'You owe me a secret,' said Tegan, sitting on the end of the bed. Her eyes flickered to a particularly large covering on his temple. 'How's your head?'

'Can't even feel it.' Bruce peeled the plaster away and sluggishly tossed it in a bin on the floor.

'Oh my God, your skin!' Tegan gently ran a finger over the place where a nasty slice had become a thin, jagged, pink scar. 'How did you do that?'

'I'm gifted,' Bruce said bitterly. 'Weren't you training with Natasha?'

'That's done now, I guess. Probably better for everybody. I mean, imagine me as an agent!'

'You did a pretty decent job of looking after me.'

For unaccountable minutes, they simply sat together, sharing the near-empty ward. There were so many things they needed to say to each other, but so many things they couldn't. Bruce sat up, staring at his hands as if they were the most interesting hands in the world.

'I have an illness,' he said, seemingly out of nowhere, 'that makes me blackout whenever I feel extreme emotion. I went out into an alleyway to dispose of a failed cure I was working on, and found myself inhaling the fumes, so when I was attacked by a couple m- by a mugger, I must've blacked out again and fought back. I'm not the same when it happens. I'm not surprised I hurt somebody. I didn't mean to. I...' He shuddered and buried his face in his palms. 'The cure may have brought me back quicker, but it amplified the negative aftermath. It didn't cure anything. Besides, it's gone now. No chance to try again.' Bruce met Tegan's gaze for the first time since he'd started talking. 'That's what really happened to me. That's the truth.'

Tegan said nothing for the longest time. Then, she muttered, 'Whatever.'

'What? What did I say?'

'It's what you didn't say. It's what no one's saying! I'm not an idiot, I can tell you're not giving me the whole truth. And I know I'm just the person who cleans metal pants and turns on the light for you when you're too stupid to realise you're hurting your eyes, but don't treat me like I'm a kid who has to be sheltered. You don't always have to take your own advice.' Tegan stood furiously and began to leave. Bruce gripped her wrist.

'That's the truth,' he repeated.

'Don't worry, I'm sure it isn't, but I understand.' Tegan deflated slowly, a sad balloon losing its air. 'After all, you've only known me for three days. I just have this stupid need to know everything that's going on around me. I hate not knowing things. I guess you were right to tell me not to trust. I don't really do it anyway.' Tegan found herself wrapping her fingers around his in spite of this, using him as an anchor to keep her to the bed. She sat down again.

'To be honest, I don't remember a lot of what I said during that time.' His features became curiously lucid. 'I remember you talking to me, though.'

Tegan blushed. 'You're just trying to get out of our deal.' Her watch beeped harshly, interrupting Bruce. 'I've got to go, Doctor Banner. It's really late, and I need to check my neighbour's cat.'

'Why?' Bruce laughed.

'I told her I'd make sure the mangy creature has enough foot while she's at her boyfriend's tonight. I could use the extra cash.' Tegan headed for the exit and lingered in the doorway.

'Fair enough. I won't keep you from your cat sitting duties.'

'Just make sure you're not the one who needs watching, all right?' She smiled warmly. 'See you tomorrow, Doctor Banner.'

'You can call me Bruce, you know.'

'See you tomorrow...Bruce.'

She held the image of his features in her mind as she walked along a broken New York street, thumb out for a cab. One came along, and she hopped in eagerly, but she couldn't stop thinking about Doctor Banner.

It was strange how she was already so fond of him. Usually it took far too long for her to build up any sort of friendship with anyone. His stories were amazing. They tickled her senses with loss and betrayal, love and forgiveness, shining like the sunset over her head. He was a proper gentlemen, and the first real friend she'd had in this city besides Connor, whom she'd always seen as a sort of father-figure because of his over-protective ways. In fact, Tegan knew she should probably call him. Let him know what happened.

There's a thought. With all the excitement, Connor hadn't even crossed her mind. And what about that blind date? She had forgotten to arrange another meeting.

A nasty feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She was doing it again, moving on, distancing herself - just like when she was seventeen. No, I'm not doing that. I can't be. But what about Bruce...and Mr. Stark? What happens when I have enough money? Will I do it then, too?

Tegan stepped out of the cab and hastily let herself into her apartment building, which sat on the place where the sidewalk ends. The inside was a thrown-up mess of contrasts. There was something welcoming about the dull colours and creaky stairs, the weird way heat was held by the overly-enforced walls. Everyone in the four storeys knew each other, like a closed off little village.

'Hi, Miss Conrad!' came a high-pitched cackle. A young child shot past her on the stairs, chasing a purple ball.

'Careful, Jason,' said Tegan, 'if you go too fast, someone could get hurt!' She fumbled for her keyring and reluctantly entered the cat-owner's home, watching the boy out of the corner of her eye. Sneezing violently, she refilled the tabby's bowl and slammed the door, taking only a couple steps to her own apartment to let herself in.

'Home at last.' Tegan sighed contentedly.

'Not for long.'

Tegan's scream was cut off by a heavy hand across her mouth. An arm wrapped around her neck, pulling it back sharply so that she couldn't move. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. As if it wasn't already pitch black outside, shadows threatened to swallow her vision. She gave a last, desperate kick at her attacker, and felt it connect with their leg, before passing out in their arms.

Darkness.


	7. Monster

Previously…

_Tegan's scream was cut off by a heavy hand across her mouth. An arm wrapped around her neck, pulling it back sharply so that she couldn't move. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. As if it wasn't already pitch black outside, shadows threatened to swallow her vision. She gave a last, desperate kick at her attacker, and felt it connect with their leg, before passing out in their arms._

_Darkness. _

* * *

><p>The sharp stench of disinfectant was overwhelming. It lay over the ground, festering and bubbling. Of course, it didn't help that Tegan's nose was pressed firmly against the cold surface, making the odor inescapable.<p>

At least it did a little good. Tegan slowly became aware of other things: a dull pain in her back, a chill in the air, and the fact that her eyes were closed. But the darkness was heavy, and she almost couldn't break it. Her lashes lifted just a crack, allowing a harsh light to filter in.

Tegan coughed, and saw a single drop of blood roll from her cheek to splash onto the floor. An inch-long cut had been made in the soft skin, stinging as oxygen bombarded it. She dabbed at the small wound with the sleeve of her favourite pullover - the same grey one she'd worn the day all this had started, the day New York fell. She forced herself into a sitting position.

'Oh my God, Tegan!' someone exclaimed. 'Is that you?'

* * *

><p>Bruce paced his laboratory, cleaning his glasses over and over again in a habit that surfaced whenever he was anxious. Two days. Two days, and on the morning of the third, she still wasn't there. Tony would never notice.<p>

Bruce did. He was the silent observer. Sometimes. Other times, he would miss the obvious, like being in a crowd and trying to catch a whisper, he just wouldn't get it.

He had always been a man who revelled in solitude, who made do with situations that were less than comfortable. A few dirty windows and cups were nothing, and hardly worth noting. It simply took him a while to realise that he was alone. Hopelessly, utterly, alone - and it bothered him.

_And what about Tegan right now?_

Wherever she was, was it safe? He was used to danger. Tegan wasn't. Like anyone, she had her demons, but would she even know what to do if something_ really_ bad happened? Maybe he was overreacting, though a lifetime of watching his back had taught him that things like this can't be ignored. People don't vanish, or give up and run away without saying goodbye. He did that, but not ordinary people. Not her.

_What if she did? She can't have just...gone..._

These thoughts buzzed through his head like flies. If he wanted to catch one, he couldn't. They were too fast, too erratic, too numerous.

'JARVIS,' said Bruce, breaking through the noise that only he could hear.

'Yes, sir?'

'Can you track the whereabouts of Tegan Conrad in the last forty eight hours?'

'Tracing credit card, CCTV, and other records now, sir.' Time passed. Probably not very long, though it felt as if JARVIS were stalling. Finally, the AI cleared his metaphorical throat, hesitated, then said, 'There are no records.'

'There can't be nothing. That's impossible.' Bruce ruffled his hair nervously. 'I think.'

'I'm sorry, sir, but from 11:32pm, 59 hours and 28 minutes ago, Tegan Conrad cannot be accounted for.' JARVIS hesitated again. 'That's when she was last seen inside her apartment building.'

Bruce's eyes lit up. 'What? You have footage from inside the building? Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?'

'Miss. Conrad gave me limited security access to the camera feed of her residence in case of emergencies, as per regulation, but Mr. Stark had yet to arrange for a code for said emergency situation, as she is newly employed, so I didn't know whether I should open my archive or not.' JARVIS seemed genuinely frustrated by his situation. 'I was torn between Stark policy and a direct order, sir.'

'Tony has a policy?' Bruce shook his head like a dog, clearing the curiosity from his mind. 'No, not important. Show me.'

'As you wish.'

One of the many screens on the wall came to life, lighting up with a scene of utter normality. Tegan, in her grey pullover, tight jeans, and red bag, was shown talking to a young child, then briefly disappearing into one of the apartments, returning with her nose buried in her elbow, sneezing uncomfortably. She opened the door to her own place, and-

Static took over, accompanied by a furious hiss. The scene ended, and automatically began to play again on a loop.

'The feed has been tampered with,' JARVIS explained. 'I have nothing before or after. Only this. I apologise for not being more help, sir.'

'No, it's okay, I...' Something strange caught his eye. It was wrong, out of place. For a building that was somewhat worse for wear, there was no graffiti to be found. So what was that on the wall? Bruce brought his face as close to the screen as possible. 'JARVIS, zoom in and enhance the far right corner of the video.'

The scene continued to loop - only this time, focussed on a section of the wall by Tegan's feet. Messy words had been scratched into the plaster, along with a string of numbers.

_Chamada e recolher, mas permanecer para o jantar._

Bruce snapped his glasses on. 'Call and collect, but stay for dinner.'

'A warning, sir?'

'An invitation,' said Bruce grimly.

'Will you call?'

'What choice do I have?'

His fingers, clutching the fabric of his jacket, failed to remove it from its spot on the table, as numbness settled in his bones. Did he actually have a choice? No, he couldn't leave her. Even if he was risking the exposure of his monster for someone who was virtually a stranger. Her voice purred to him. _You owe me a secret… _

Bruce set his jaw. 'JARVIS, where's the phone?'

* * *

><p>'I'm here,' said Tegan. 'I can't see you.'<p>

'To your right.' It was Abby, holding her knees up to her chin, separated from Tegan by a thick, ashen wall and a stretch of glass. Her face was smudged with sweat and speckles of scarlet, her auburn hair standing up in weird directions. 'I'm glad you're awake,' said Abby, her voice raspy. 'I thought you'd be asleep for ever.'

'I hate to ask, 'cause it's so cliched, but I've got to know. Where are we?' Abby shook her head sadly. Tegan swallowed hard. 'I was home - I just got home - and then...' Her eyes grew impossibly wide. 'Someone attacked me!' Her chest heaved as panic shot through every vein, along with the overwhelming, unthinking, animalistic urge to get out of the cage-like room as soon as possible. She saw a single door set against the left-side wall. It didn't look too strong, so she rammed it without another thought. Stuck. Locked. She slammed her shoulder into it again and again until the limb burned, achieving nothing.

'Yeah, it's locked,' Abby said dryly. A beat, and then a smile abruptly crossed her lips. 'Hey, do you have your cell with you? I have mine, but it won't work.'

Tegan jerkily patted herself down. She remembered leaving it in her bag (which was nowhere to be seen), but it was actually tucked into the waist of her jeans, unbroken, untouched, and turned on, draining the battery already.

'Must've bumped it when I was out cold,' said Tegan, showing the device to Abby. 'I'll try and call for help, don't worry.' More than anything at this point, she wanted to call Bruce, but she didn't have his number. Maybe Connor could help. Or maybe it was time to finally call home. Would anyone even care after all the years it had been?

_Bleep. Bleeeep. _She froze as the phone buzzed in her palm.

Abby's voice jolted her back into awareness: 'Answer it!'

'Right!' Tegan hastily pressed it to her ear. 'Hello?'

'Tegan, it's me, Bruce. I need you to tell me everything you can - every little detail. I don't doubt you're being listened in on, but just keep talking. JARVIS is tracing this call.' He sounded out of breath, and the roar of a car's engine followed each word. 'Come on, Tegan!'

'We're, uh, in some sort of massive hall, penned into little rooms like rabbits. I can see...I think it's medical equipment. Big tables and rolls of gauze, syringes, scalpels. Oh God, Bruce. What are they gonna do to us?'

'Stay calm,' he said, though it seemed to be more to himself than her. 'We've got a location. Hang on.'

'Tell him to bring food,' called Abby. 'I'm starving.'

'Who's that?' asked Bruce. 'You said there was someone else with you...'

'That's Abby. She's the one who helped me look after you when you were unconscious. Bruce, I-'

Bruce stuttered under her. She could practically see the colour drain from his face. 'Tegan, get out of there! Get the hell out of there! It's her. She's the one who kidnapped you, who did all this!'

Abby stood. 'That's quite enough, Doctor Banner.' She pulled a thin remote from her sleeve aimed it at the phone. The call ended. 'All right, you've had your phone call. Time to meet the warden, I suppose.'

'No!' Tegan gasped, tears pricking at her waterlines.

'My name is Jordan Goddard. Doctor Jordan Goddard.' Abby, or whoever she was, limped up to the glass between them and spread her fingers against it, a cold smile slithering along her lips. 'And you're my ticket to great things, Miss Conrad.'

'What do you want with me?!' Tegan hit the glass furiously, but Goddard didn't even flinch.

'Isn't that the arrogance of our generation?' Goddard shook her pixie-cut of blond hair, letting pieces of rubble fly from the locks. 'I don't want you at all. You're just a stepping stone.'

_Bruce! _Tegan cried out in anguish and punched the recall button on her phone. This time it said there was no reception. She dropped it.

Goddard retrieved a handkerchief from her other sleeve and started wiping the dirt and blood from her face.

'Thanks for the donation, by the way,' she said casually, gesturing to the cut on Tegan's cheek. 'It helped to make the whole thing a lot more realistic. I wasn't sure if Banner had pieced it together or not.'

Tegan slumped down against the wall, dry sobs wracking her body. Goddard - the person she'd come to know as Abby, the person who might have been a friend - watched without emotion. At least, it looked that way. But her eyes betrayed a cool excitement of victory. Her eyes betrayed cruelty.

'I would've done it myself, you know,' cooed Goddard. 'Befriended Banner, that is. I was going to. Even got myself a job with Stark. I delayed Banner's plane enough to give him time to reconsider his living arrangement. I did_ everything_, and yet you beat me to it!' She smirked. 'Of course, I still have plans. I couldn't set aside time to properly be your bestest friend. I mean, I guess you complicated things a little, but it just made me think harder. So thank you for that.' Goddard fixed the buttons on her blouse. 'And this isn't like those superhero movies, Miss Conrad. There's no masked man who'll come bursting through the walls while I monologue. If Bruce Banner doesn't arrive in the next hour...you're dead.'

Cradling the leg that'd had a disagreement with Tegan's boot, Abby - Goddard - opened the door to her "prison" and let herself out.

'You monster!' cried Tegan.

'No,' snapped Goddard, turning to face her. 'You've brought the monster.'


	8. Liar liar

Previously...

_'You monster!' cried Tegan._

_'No,' snapped Goddard, turning to face her. 'You've brought the monster.'_

* * *

><p>Bruce thought the car ride would never end. It was bad enough that he'd been forced to take Tony's Porsche Panamera (one of his more subtle vehicles), but with every passing second, paranoia seeped further into his mind. Worry for Tegan, and, he was ashamed to admit it, worry for himself.<p>

'We're almost there, sir.' JARVIS' soothing voice rippled through the classical music coming from the radio. 'Take the next left.'

'We're on the outskirts of the city,' said Bruce. 'She knows what I am. Of _course_ she does!' He thumped the steering wheel in frustration.

'Doctor Banner...'

'Don't worry, I'm calm. I'm calm.'

'No sir, you've missed the turn!'

'Crap!' Bruce tugged the wheel. The car swerved sharply and zoomed along the wrong side of the road, narrowly avoiding a crash when it melted perfectly into the turnoff. Years of being on the run had afforded Bruce certain skills which, although he often resented, came in handy during times like this.

JARVIS guided him to a secluded little building on the furthermost edge of the city, where it could hardly be called New York anymore. The building, although only a storey high, had the air of being a skyscraper. It was surrounded by a small parking lot, which lay beneath its large, welcoming windows. Faded letters proclaimed that it was once a place called _Harry's_, but a new sign by the door said it was out of business.

'There used to be a restaurant here,' Bruce mused to himself, parking the car as close to the entrance as possible. 'They had the best fries in the world.'

'I'm sorry, sir, but there can be no delay,' said JARVIS.

'I know. I just...' Bruce sighed. 'It's sad how quickly things seem to fall apart, isn't it?' He let himself out, hanging onto the door of the car for a moment. 'Tell Tony, if he asks, that I'm sorry about his Porsche. It's unlikely I'll be able to return it.'

'Good luck.'

Bruce went to the building's entrance and fumbled at the door handle, feeling his fingers go numb once again. He could see no one inside, no one behind the desk, and yet he had the strangest sensation of being watched, like a million invisible eyes were tracking his every move.

When he entered, the feeling intensified, drumming his senses so that it was inescapable. Someone knew he was there. On instinct, his own eyes flickered up to each corner of the ceiling in turn, where security cameras were nestled. They were small, almost impossible to notice…

'I'm here,' said Bruce in what was barely louder than a whisper. 'Now where the hell is Tegan Conrad?'

Tegan watched as Goddard leaned over the tables of medical equipment, peering at a cluster of screens. Although she was on the other end of the hall, Tegan could see Bruce's image clearly. She could see him approach the reception desk, look beyond into the actual restaurant, flip through the magazines splayed out on little coffee tables.

'What are you gonna do?' asked Tegan, using up every single inch of space in her cell to get closer to Goddard - though it was useless.

'Shush,' said Goddard, not even looking back. 'I want to see what _he's_ going to do.'

As she said this, Bruce tried one of the locked, "employees only" doors, almost smiling when the second opened easily in his grip, then frowning at the revelation. He descended the snaking stairs beyond it, disappearing into a shadow.

Goddard smirked, rubbing her leg. 'He's so close.'

'If you touch him, I'll make sure that leg _really_ hurts.'

'Huh, sounds like you learnt a thing or two from Romanoff.'

'I wasn't exactly the best student. But let me out, and I'll make do.'

Bruce's footsteps reached their ears at last. The soles of his shoes beat on the stairs like the drums at certain types of funerals - lonely, melancholy, sad. His knuckles rapped against the door.

'No, Bruce! Go away!' cried Tegan.

Goddard shoved a key into the lock. Bruce stumbled in, his eyes darting about until they fell onto the cell in which Tegan stood; until they fell onto her face, taking in the state of her. His lips threatened to snarl.

'Keep it caged, Banner,' said Goddard smoothly. 'I only want one little thing from you, and then I'll let her go free. Unfortunately, I need time to prepare. I wasn't certain you'd actually show up. Now, go join Tegan. There's a good boy.'

Before a protest could leave his mouth, Bruce saw the glint of a small, yet powerful gun in Goddard's hand. It wasn't pointed at him. It was pointed at Tegan, with a close enough range for the bullet to slice through the glass and hit its target. Simple. Bruce begrudgingly stood by as Goddard opened the door and pushed him inside the cell she'd initially used to trick Tegan.

'Sit tight,' she purred. 'And don't do anything stupid.' The click of the lock was painfully final. The clicking of her heels was torture.

'Are you all right?' asked Bruce, pacing the length of the cell.

'I think so.' Tegan tried to capture his gaze, but he seemed to be avoiding her. 'What does she want from you?'

'I don't know.'

'You're lying again.'

'Yeah.' This time, he looked straight at her.

Tegan lay on the cold floor, knitting her fingers together over her stomach. It was the only place low enough to avoid the windows, so that Bruce couldn't see as a glob of water rolled down from her eye. She let the grief of it all consume her. There was no way Abby - Goddard - would let them go after all this. Tegan was convinced she'd never get to see Connor again, or finally go on that blind date, or even call up her parents and tell them how sorry she was. If she'd never met Bruce Banner…

If she'd never met Bruce Banner…Tegan would have sat outside that damn tower for as long as possible, then gone home and given up hope. She would've started looking through the classifieds again. Everything would be...normal. But when it was just the two of them, it felt normal.

_I wouldn't give that up for the world. Oh God, that's so sappy. I'm glad he can't hear me now. _

Tegan rolled over. Stopped. There was something on the floor, sprawled against the wall. She stood and picked it up. It was a man's wristwatch, the analog face cracked and dirty; the hands still.

'Abby!' shouted Tegan. Goddard turned from the thing she was preparing - what it was, couldn't be seen - and raised an eyebrow. 'Whose watch was this? Who else did you kidnap?'

'Oh.' Goddard snickered. 'It's some actor's. I hired him to play me, that is, the real me, so I could be the damsel in distress as Abby. When I realised I didn't need him anymore...' Slowly, she drew a finger across her neck and stuck out her tongue. 'Hey, I thought it was a pretty original idea, but oh well. You can keep the watch, by the way, if you like.'

Tegan screamed and dropped the device. In the opposite cell, Bruce was wringing his hands, pacing, but he froze when he heard her. He pressed his palm onto the glass between them. Tegan found herself gravitating to him and placing her palm against his, grateful that their little rooms were pressed together.

'I'm scared, Bruce,' said Tegan. 'I can pretend to be brave, but I'm just not. I'm terrified.'

'Well, I'm sorry about that.' Goddard unlocked the door to Bruce's cell, still pointing her weapon at Tegan. 'I really am. Truly, I think I might cry it's so touching. Doctor Banner, roll up your sleeve.' The instant he did, she dabbed a cotton ball on his skin and injected him with a long, extra-large syringe, drawing an impressive amount of blood.

She carried it to the table of equipment - forcing Bruce ahead of her - and typed his name into a laptop perched precariously on what looked like a journal.

_Doctor Bruce Banner - AKA, The Hulk. Blood sample…._

'You're trying to duplicate the creature,' hissed Bruce. 'It won't work. You're not the first to try.'

'_Please_,' snapped Goddard. 'I'm no idiot.' She effortlessly added a single, scarlet drop to a panel protruding from the computer while still handling the gun, closing it expectantly. After a minute, new words scrolled across the screen:

_Doctor Bruce Banner - AKA, The Hulk. Blood sample CONFIRMED MATCH. _

'Good. Just had to double check you hadn't planned ahead with blood patches or anything.' Goddard pocketed the syringe. 'The reason you're here, Doctor Banner, is because people will pay a surprising amount for even a drop of your...blood. All I needed was access to your birth records to make a comparison, and even Stark could access those.'

It seemed impossible, and Bruce was certain he must have imagined it, but her eyes softened slightly. 'I need the money,' she continued. 'I always wanted to be a scientist. Everyone told me I was a genius my whole life, but now I just want to bring my dad's restaurant back to the way it used to be. I owe him that after all I put him through.' Her eyes hardened again as she pulled out a new syringe. 'This is going to be a slow process, but we'll manage.'

Tegan, who'd barely caught a word of the conversation, glared at the syringe, fiddling with her shoelace necklace.

'How much are you _taking_?' she asked.

'About 35%.'

'That'll kill him, won't it?!'

'Not quite, though I wouldn't make any bets on his ability to cross the street after all this.' Doctor Goddard filled the second syringe, and put them both on the table beside the rubbing alcohol and other supplies.

_Bruce, why aren't you doing anything? She's got a bad leg, knock her down!_ thought Tegan. As if he could hear her, Bruce glanced over with a look of pure and utter defeat. It was like a punch in the gut.

The bright lights fizzed, throwing them into the darkness, before weakly turning back on.

'Shit,' said Goddard. 'This place is falling apart. Get in the cell, Banner. I'll only be a minute.'

'Leave him alone!' Frustrated at how futile her protests clearly were, Tegan tore off her necklace, clutching it until there was an indentation in her palm. Wincing, she turned over her hand, eyes growing wide at the chip. In the middle, a tiny, silver circle sat in the circuitry, with even tinier words printed over it in gold text.

_Emergency Recall._

'How do I use this?' she whispered. It wasn't a button, nothing she could press. It was just a circle...but a faint memory tugged at her subconscious. A growl pulled her from her thoughts. In the other cell, Bruce was barely standing, his breaths were ragged and shallow. 'Bruce, are you okay?'

'No.' He gripped his arm. 'She's taken so much already. She's gonna take more. I don't...I can't..._breathe_.'

Goddard returned, bringing with her the harsh brightness of the lights, her gun pointed again at Tegan.

'One more, and then I'll let her go.' She smirked. 'Permanently.'

Bruce's growl turned into a strangled roar. He met Tegan's eyes, and she was shocked to see that his gentle, brown orbs were green. His body convulsed strangely under his clothes.

'Liar, liar,' he boomed.


	9. Physician, heal thyself

Previously…

_Goddard returned, bringing with her the harsh brightness of the lights, her gun pointed again at Tegan._

'_One more, and then I'll let her go.' She smirked maliciously._

_Bruce's growl turned into a strangled roar. He met Tegan's eyes, and she was shocked to see that his gentle, brown orbs were green. His body convulsed strangely under his clothes._

'_Liar liar,' he boomed. _

* * *

><p>He hunched over as far away from Tegan as possible, pulling at his soft curls of hair and howling in pain.<p>

'Bruce, what's happening?' cried Tegan. She turned to Goddard accusingly.

'It's not me doing this!' Goddard's hands were shaking. 'Oh God.'

Time held its breath. Everything froze, and yet happened all at once. The wall between Bruce and Tegan burst apart, throwing her to the ground. Heavy chunks rained down, clunking together like Lego bricks. She saw every little thing, every particle heading towards her, and now she was stuck. It took a moment to realise that she was curled up in a pocket of air, the pieces holding her down without pressing, but if one fell…

'Bruce!' Tegan coughed. 'Bruce, what's…? I can't move, help me someone, please!'

'Why?' a deep, animal-like voice attacked her ears. 'Your fault.'

'Please.' Tegan whimpered as one of the heavy chunks started digging into her ribs. The force holding her down was instantly brushed aside like it was nothing. She sat slowly, taking in the colossal man before her. 'Bruce?!'

The man, whose radioactive-green skin shimmered under a sheen of sweat, had completely demolished the cells. He had to keep his head lowered to avoid going through the ceiling, and he wasn't quite steady on his knee, probably from the blood loss. When Tegan spoke, his gigantic maw split open, and he let out a hurt roar. His fingers curled into a fist.

'It_ is_ you, isn't it?' Tegan blinked, tears welling at her eyes. 'How did this happen?'

'He was a freak even before he became a monster,' hissed Goddard, backing into the corner. 'How much do you really know about Doctor Robert Bruce Banner, Tegan?' She hugged her chest, shaking. 'How much do you _want _to know?'

The Hulk growled. Tegan placed a hand on his abdomen, biting her lip.

Goddard's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. 'You still care for him, don't you?'

'Why wouldn't I?' Tegan's breath hitched.

'Because you're not _brave_, Tegan Conrad. You think you are now, you can pretend you are now, but you're still just the scared little girl who ran away from home. And that, little girl, is the monster beneath your bed!'

'Haven't you done enough? Leave him alone!'

As if he were siphoning her anger into himself, using it for power, the Hulk growled, his body rippling with newfound energy. He snatched up Goddard like a doll and drew her close, slowly tightening his grip.

'Bruce, you don't have to kill her,' said Tegan, staring pleadingly into his impossibly large, green eyes. 'You're not a monster.'

_Monster. Wrong thing to say._

Hearing only that, the Hulk stood to his full height, bringing the roof crashing down around them. He used himself as a shield over Tegan, but when the damage was done, he started to climb out of the building, heading for the car park on the ground level.

'Stop!' cried Tegan. Her voice was lost to the noise of the world crumbling around them. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach as dry sobs returned to ravage her body. Everything was ruined, broken, gone - except this time, she didn't have to leave for it to happen.

And there it was: a glimmer of hope, sticking out between the chunks of the ceiling. She crawled over and clasped the pencil like it was made of gold. The thing was short, and gnawed in some places, likely having fallen out of Bruce's pockets. A memory that danced on the edge of her subconscious came to light. It was during her first day of work at the tower…

'_What're you doing, Doctor Banner?' asked Tegan, pursing her lips at the ruffled scientist, who was currently bent over a beat-up cellphone. _

'_It's broken,' he said irritably. 'I had the list of ingredients for that possible cure of mine on here, and it's not letting me in. I'd really rather not guess through it.' _

'_Isn't there some way to debug it or something?' _

'_No, what you're thinking of would require pencil graphite on the debugging circle, and I don't think any phones actually do that - only some older types of machines. It would only be on a newer machine if they were trying to bypass conventional hacking techniques, and there's really no point. Besides, this has been completely crushed.' _

'_Oh. Well, sorry I couldn't be more help.' _

Tegan furrowed her brow and brought the chip of Iron Man's suit to the pencil. Sure enough, there was the silver debugging circle, hidden so that it could only be used in emergencies. She doubted it would do anything, and especially doubted that any of his suits still used this, considering the upgrades Mr. Stark would likely be adding to them. Still, she took the stubbed pencil and grazed the end over the circle.

Nothing.

'Of course not. Of course not.' She shivered, looking up to what remained of the restaurant. 'Bruce, are you still up there?'

Nothing.

Tegan slowly made her way up the pile of rubble, emerging onto the car park. The ground felt unsteady beneath her feet, and whole sections had been pushed in where the Hulk had tread.

'_Tegan...'_

It could hardly be called a whisper, but she heard it tease her ears from across the pavement. She turned on her heel, unable to believe it until she saw the crumpled form of Doctor Goddard set into the pavement like a painted line.

'You're alive,' said Tegan, dumbstruck. She knelt beside her.

'Not for long, if you don't help me.'

Goddard's face was unrecognisable. It seemed Bruce wasn't the only one who had changed. There was no warmth in her eyes, just a desperate and feral need to survive, the only thing still keeping her awake. Her features were disjointed and broken, covered in thick layers of scarlet which clung to her once-blond hair. She reached achingly into her pocket and held out the syringes with Bruce's blood.

'Take them,' she said, rasping as her throat threatened to close. 'With the money you'll get from these, you can do anything you want, be anyone you want. I did my research, Tegan Conrad. I know what you desire most in the world. Help me, and they're yours.'

Tegan closed her hand around the syringes, letting the cold metal burn her flaming skin. With these, she could do all the classes she needed and then some. She could work anywhere in the world, help_ so many people_. But how could Tegan tell them to be brave, if _she_ couldn't be?

'Even if I dragged you out of this ditch myself,' said Tegan, 'I could never help you. I thought I was like you, I thought things would never change, but they did, and I did. I'm not gonna make your same mistakes.' Tegan dropped the syringes on the ground and crushed them each underfoot. 'Goodbye, Abby.'

A small whimper was the only reply, as Doctor Jordan Goddard's eyes fell shut.

Tegan stuffed her hands under her armpits and walked towards the city, sniffling and keeping her gaze locked to her feet to avoid the mass destruction that littered the streets around her. In all fairness, it could've been caused by the battle of New York, and no one would ever know the difference. Even Tegan wasn't sure, but by any means, the Hulk - Bruce Banner - was long gone.

Walking.

Walking.

'You're alive!'

She froze, heart thumping against her chest. It couldn't be. He couldn't be…

Suddenly a force like a stampede hit her from all sides. Metal slid onto her limbs and gripped her skin, refusing to let go. Darkness dropped over her vision. The Iron Man armour had come at last, but something was wrong. Tegan could feel the cool air biting her where the armour was missing. The only pieces that had found her were a gauntlet, a boot, and the helmet - likely all that was left once Stark had decided to replace the model.

Sounds and sights were completely cut off, until a light flickered on inside the mask, and the calm voice of JARVIS melted through.

'Hello, Miss Conrad,' he said. 'My instruments show me you interrupted an important signal still being broadcast by the chip Mr. Stark gave you, automatically summoning the mark seven. Do you require assistance?'

'Call Tony Stark please,' said Tegan, staggering wildly as she only just began to make out the shapes around her. 'We need him to catch...'

And there he was, standing half-hidden by a line of drooping trees, his deep brown eyes watching her every move, a wounded animal waiting for the hunter.

'Bruce!' cried Tegan. She stumbled to him and threw her arms around his neck without even thinking. At first, he stayed motionless, trying to process it all, then pulled her close and rested his chin in the crook of her shoulder, their bodies fitting perfectly together like puzzle pieces. 'You're back. Oh my God, you're okay.'

'Yeah, I'm okay. I...' Bruce tightened his embrace. 'I'm so sorry you had to see that. Did I hurt anyone?'

'Maybe a few cars. You lost a lot of blood, so your aim was probably a bit off.'

Bruce leant back. 'Does she have it?'

'I broke the syringes.' Tegan bit her lip. 'Goddard...she's dead, Bruce.'

'Maybe that's for the better.'

'Maybe. Hey, can you help me with this thing?' Tegan attempted to prise off the Iron Man helmet. Bruce, shivering from the wind, started to help. It was stuck. Tegan gave up and shucked her jacket, passing it to Bruce.

'What's this for?' he asked.

'You're cold. Take it.'

Bruce's eyes widened to the size of saucers. He couldn't believe it.

'I really am glad you're okay,' said Tegan. Bruce put on her jacket and placed his hands on either side of the Iron Man helmet. 'What're you doing?' He rested his forehead on the metal face, his lips hovering where hers would be.

'Thank you, Tegan.'

'I think I just vomited a little,' said a new voice. Goddard walked up to them, her legs moving at awkward angles, her body almost completely broken. The pistol hung limply in her grasp. Tegan stepped in front of Bruce, raising the single Iron Man gauntlet.

'How can you possibly be alive?'

'I was prepared, of course.' She rolled up one of her sleeves, revealing a metal exoskeleton running along her arm, and probably her whole body. 'Didn't do as much good as I'd hoped, but it saved my life, more or less.'

Tegan shook the Iron Man gauntlet, willing it to turn on. 'Go away, Abby. You've lost. Just...go.'

'No, Tegan. You can't even get that thing to work, but I _will_ fire if you try to intervene.' Goddard gestured for Bruce to come forward. He did.

'Don't!' Tegan gripped his shoulder. When he turned to look at her, there was nothing left of the man she'd come to know. His face was hollow and gaunt from the transformation, his skin waxy and pale under beads of sweat. He smiled wanly.

'She'll kill you,' is all he said.

'Miss Conrad, there's still some reserve power in this suit,' proclaimed JARVIS, wavering as he struggled to continue through the intercom. 'One per cent remains in the boot.'

'Power up,' whispered Tegan. She shot into the air with no warning, flailing around without the stabilisers. The boot threw her at Bruce and Goddard, the slightest movement sending it in a different direction. Tegan grabbed Goddard's collar and lifted her from the ground.

'What the hell are you doing?!' cried Bruce.

Although no one could see it, a tear rolled down Tegan's cheek. 'Something brave.'

Goddard screamed. 'Let go of me!'

Tegan kept a hold of her as they spiralled through the air. Bruce became smaller and smaller, the parking lot further and further away. Then, the Iron Man helmet powered down, JARVIS was no more, and the flame from the boot sputtered out.

The two women hurtled from the sky, both equally lost and helpless, both equally doomed. Goddard closed her eyes and spread her arms, falling away from Tegan.

She was dead before she hit the ground.

Tegan remembered what people said about dying, about your life flashing before you. It did. Oh God, it did. But she didn't see her parents, Connor, or even her old boyfriend...

Smack.

The helmet finally slid off, revealing the blurred face of the Hulk. Tegan lay curled in his arms like an infant, breathing raggedly. She placed her hand against his and smiled, capturing his eyes in her gaze.

'I don't know if you can understand this,' she said weakly, 'but I...'

She was dead before the sun could set.

* * *

><p><em>~Epilogue~<em>

Bruce stood by the gravestone, hands stuffed deep into his pockets, hair billowing gently in the wind. It was the same wind, following him all week. But he didn't mind.

He'd been standing there for so long, that when he eventually left, his shoes would undoubtedly leave marks by the flowers and the letters. Letters that didn't _only_ come from him. JARVIS had found her family and brought them together, just for today; just to say goodbye. So maybe the other Avengers weren't there. It made the occasion feel that much more intimate.

An older woman approached him. She had Tegan's nose and dark hair, covered up by a black veil and hat.

'How did you know my Tegan?' she asked gently.

Bruce looked up to the sky. 'She was a friend. A good friend.'

'Anything more?'

'No,' he said morosely. 'But maybe we could've been.' The woman nodded and went back to her husband. He had one more thing to say, so he let the hushed words spill from his lips, 'You may not have been a psychiatrist, but you did what you really dreamed of doing. You were _brave_, Tegan Conrad, you helped people. And you are my _hero_.'

Bruce found himself brushing past the woman in black. He couldn't watch that grave anymore, hoping childishly that something would happen. The funeral was long over. He cast his eyes to the ground and walked away, because it was all he knew how to do...

To forget and move on.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: I am so sorry, but this was how I planned it from the start. If you've enjoyed Tricks and Liars, please leave a review to tell me what you thought!** **I have no plans for a sequel. This is truly the end of Tegan Conrad, yet it's been a good run. Thank you to all those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. This wouldn't have been possible without you. Peace out!**_


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